Sticky Wisdom

The basic premise is that there are six main ways of being more creative--from thinking about things afresh through greenhousing (letting good ideas grow) to bravery (making them happen). Each chapter presents a range of case studies that help ground the activities in a sense of reality--for example one client managed a breakthrough in their advertising for toothpaste when they started seeing their product as liquid teeth. Where many management books are drier than a diver's underpants this has a freshness and zing about it. It keeps you reading and it keeps you smiling too. Sticky Wisdom sends a rocket into the comfortable world of conventional thinking. --Steve Morris

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sticky Wisdom should be required reading for anyone who's ever wondered how to have more fun at work and profit by it. The basic message is that creativity is like gold dust but it needs to be practised and worked at in organisations. It needs to become part of the organisational furniture. Dave Allan and his coauthors run ?What If!, a creative consultancy (and the title of the first edition) aimed at helping businesses move outside the proverbial tramlines, and here, minus the fee, they show how, with activities, games, insights and general lunacy.

The basic premise is that there are six main ways of being more creative--from thinking about things afresh through greenhousing (letting good ideas grow) to bravery (making them happen). Each chapter presents a range of case studies that help ground the activities in a sense of reality--for example one client managed a breakthrough in their advertising for toothpaste when they started seeing their product as liquid teeth.

Where many management books are drier than a diver's underpants this has a freshness and zing about it. It keeps you reading and it keeps you smiling too. Sticky Wisdom sends a rocket into the comfortable world of conventional thinking.--Steve Morris

"What if" is an innovation consultancy who offer a set of steps and practical ideas of how to enhance innovation in your business. This book is the follow up to "What If" (this is an improvement in layout, but you don't need both books). The innovation stages are great and it helped me to understand at a high level where my current team are strong and weak, but I think it is the practical nature of the ideas, tools and methods that is the strength of this book.

I really like the different ideas for enabling creative thinking - random connections, opposites, physical trials, focused "hothousing"...each will help you to advance from the normal set of brainstormed ideas that your workshops probably generate at the moment - how many of them couldn't anyone in your industry think of?

What if is a consultancy as well and it is possible that I might get to work with them sometime soon - I am really looking forward to trying out with the experts some of these techniques.

Mind expanding stuff when applied to your eveyday problems - might even help you enjoy your work more - now wouldn't that be a thing!


Enlightening and courageous   February 9, 2003
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Enlightening because it helped me realise why I have not been an 'easy employee'. Courageous because the book shows just how many ways in which traditional corporate cultures nurture barriers, rather than paths, to progress.

The book is easy to read - well laid out, with lots of useful case studies and advice.

I suggest reading the last chapter first - I did, and couldn't wait to read the rest of the book. And, if you're feeling brave, share what you're reading with your colleagues.